


Parenting Fears

by Plumetta



Series: Baby makes Three [16]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 23:36:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1406827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plumetta/pseuds/Plumetta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haymitch and Effie have had a baby and he has a lot of fear about being a father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Parenting Fears

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own anything the universe belongs to Suzanne Collins

Haymitch was watching his week old daughter sleep. Effie was taking an afternoon nap when the baby started to cry. He woke his wife up. 

“Effie, she needs you.

Effie yawned. “You could warm up a bottle. Hailey had me up half the night.

“Effie, I have to go to the Hob.”

Effie looked annoyed. “Katniss bought you enough liquor for the week.

“The baby was so loud I had to finish it to go to sleep.

“Haymitch…you need to help me with her.

“Effie, I don’t know anything about being a father.

“I’m a new mother. I don’t know anything either. 

The baby started wailing. “Then I feel sorry for this kid. I need to go. He practically ran out the front door.

He staggered into the Hob and went straight to Ripper.

“Three bottles.”

Ripper nodded. “Congratulations. Katniss told us Effie had the baby. What’s her name?

“Hailey.”

“For her Daddy.” Ripper said.

“No……Effie picked it. I don’t think it’s for me. Poor kid has a ridiculous name Hailey Euphemia Trinket Abernathy.

Ripper laughed. “She’ll need to know the whole alphabet before she can spell that.

“Kids in the Capitol have two last names.” Haymitch said. Euphemia is Effie’s full name.

“I’m surprised you didn’t name her Lilly, for your mother.

Haymitch actually flinched. “Baby names are up to the mother. He put the money down. Just give me my bottles. I have to go.

Haymitch walked out of the Hob and headed in the opposite direction of his house and into the Seam. There was a dilapidated two room shack. Haymitch bought the property after his family died. No one had lived there in over thirty years. It was falling down before 12 was destroyed. The only things inside were a rocking chair, a table on its last legs and several rats who scattered when he walked in.

He sat in the rocking chair looked up at the ceiling and sighed. ‘Hi Mom. I know it’s been a while. I guess you were wondering what happened after the 75th Games. I mean I was so happy to tell you about my winners in the 74th. We have a lot to catch up on. District 12 was bombed. There was a war. Snow is dead. I got married and have a daughter.

I know, I know. The last thing is the scariest. Who in the hell would marry me? Well, no one from 12 was that stupid Mom. It was Effie. I know I mentioned her in the last few years. Effie got herself pregnant and… He laughed as if he was actually hearing his mother. “Okay Mom, okay. I had something to do with it but I didn’t want a baby. I told her to get rid of it. She refused. I said I wanted a divorce she wouldn’t agree. It got hard Mom. I didn’t want Effie to go. I do love her but her baby. I don’t know what I’m going to do.

He rocked in the chair for a long time. “I don’t know how to be a father. I know how to drink like my old man but I don’t think beating his wife and kids made him a father. I remember the day you made him leave Mom. Everybody thinks he left you but I remember. I was eight and Garrett was four. I was helping you carry your laundry bags. We came home and Dad was beating Garrett with a belt for spilling his liquor. I tried to get Garrett away from him and he gave me a black eye. You came out of the kitchen with the carving knife. You told me to take Garrett into the bedroom and you told him to walk away and never come back. It was a year before he drank himself to death.

“Mom….Effie wants me to be a father. I don’t know how to do that. He rocked in the chair quietly again staring at the ceiling. “You were a great mother. You used to cry at night worrying about me and Garrett. I never understood because things were so much better after Dad was gone. I mean it was harder, there was less food, less money but we didn’t have to worry about his crazy mood swings, about being beaten, that he would trade food for booze. Garrett and I always felt loved. We may have gone to bed hungry but never without a kiss good night. You gave us as much freedom as you could while still keeping us in line. You were so patient with us and that couldn’t have been easy. We both acted out so much when Dad first left and you always knew when we needed a hug or needed a spanking. When I decided to take tesserae you didn’t force me or forbid me you let me make my own decision. As I got older you let me help you with Garrett, he was going to be a handful. I would have had to keep a tight leash on him when he became a teenager. Unfortunately we never got that far. When I came home from the Quell you still looked at me as your son. I had killed people but all I felt from you was your love. I didn’t get to do for you and Garrett the things that I wanted. The things I dreamed about from the moment I was crowned.

“I can give Hailey money but I can’t be….I can’t be..

“Her father? You don’t have a choice.” He heard a voice say.

He leaped out of his chair. “Who the hell is that?

“It’s me. Peeta.”

“Are you following me?

He shook his head. “Effie was looking for you. I went to the Hob and Fred said he saw you heading out to your old place. I didn’t know what he meant so he gave me directions.

“Peeta go home to Katniss.

Peeta shook his head. “Katniss doesn’t need me right now. You do.

“How long were you standing there?

“Since your father left and never came back. How often do you come here?

He shrugged. “Once a year. After the Games. I tell my mother about her son the lush. Chip off the old block. I haven’t been back since…..you won.

“Your mother sounds like a terrific lady.”

“She was.” Haymitch said.

“My mother….wasn’t. Peeta said quietly. I’m sorry she was killed but I don’t miss her. I never feel the need to tell her anything.

“Great. I’m crazy. Another reason for Effie to keep her kid from me.

“Haymitch, she’s your daughter too.

“No, she’s…..no part of me. She deserves better.

“Haymitch my mother was a bitch and my father was a good man who didn’t always protect me. It sounds to me like your father was a monster and your mother was a saint. 

“I’m just like him.”

“No you’re not. You’re mean to people to make them keep their distance. Don’t keep your distance from Hailey. She needs you. Effie needs you.

“I don’t…

“I think if you turn your back on them your mother would be ashamed of you. Peeta said.

Haymitch flushed red with anger. “Don’t talk about things you know nothing about.

“Do you think she’d approve of you emotionally neglecting your family? A woman that put her children ahead of everything. It sounds like you would have done anything for her and your brother. Isn’t the family you made with Effie just as important?

Haymitch pushed Peeta aside. “Get the hell out of my house. I’m going to tell Effie she has to leave. She’ll show up on your doorstep later on with her offspring, just let her stay until the train comes and she’ll go to her sister in the Capitol.

“Haymitch….wait.

He stormed back to the Victor’s Village. He opened the door and heard the baby screaming at the top of her lungs. He looked for Effie who was pacing back and forth with the baby. “There you are. She’s been screaming for the last half hour.

“Is she hungry?” Haymitch asked.

“No. I changed her. I’ve been walking with her. She’s so upset.

He looked at the baby kicking her little legs in frustration.

“Have you tried rocking her? He asked.

“Of course.”

“Bundling?

“What’s that? Effie asked.

“Bundling. My brother used to go nuts the first couple of months if he wasn’t bundled. Where’s her blanket?

“In the crib but…

Haymitch sat on the couch. Come over here and hold her. I’ll get this around her.

Effie watched as her husband wrapped their baby up as if she was a burrito. “She can’t move, that can’t be….but suddenly Hailey stopped crying.

Effie was shocked. “How did you do that?”

“My mother used to do it for my brother. He was always cold as a little kid he used to ask me to wrap him up in the winter until he was about six. He looked at Hailey. She seems to like it.

“She does.” Effie said.

“My Mom used to say it made Garrett feel safe. She said I didn’t like bundling. I would kick the blankets off.

“You still do. Effie laughed.

Effie was smiling at Hailey who was looking very relaxed.. “Do you want to hold her?

“No…

“Come on. Just for a few minutes.

“She’ll cry.

Effie handed the baby to him and Hailey immediately made cooing sounds.

He tried to hand her back but Hailey started to whimper. Effie put the baby firmly in his arms.

“She loves her Daddy.” Effie said.

“She doesn’t know any better. Haymitch said.

“I don’t know. It was her Daddy that made her feel safe and happy, not me.

“Effie….

“She needs both of us. Effie said.

“Effie, I was raised by a single mother. My father was not…..a good man.

Effie kissed him on the cheek. “Then it’s a good thing you’re nothing like him. I’ll get the bottle so you can feed your daughter.


End file.
